Wedding in Hamilton

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton is the third largest metropolitan area in Ontario and the ninth largest metropolitan area in the country. The town of Hamilton was conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812. It is a part of the Golden Horseshoe, a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario. Residents of the city are called Hamiltonians.

Hamilton is located on the western end of the Niagara Peninsula and wraps around the westernmost part of Lake Ontario, most of the city including the downtown section are on the south shore. Situated in the geographic centre of the Golden Horseshoe and is roughly the midway point between Toronto and Buffalo. The major physical features are Hamilton Harbour marking the northern limit of the city and the Niagara Escarpment running through the middle of the city across its entire breadth, bisecting the city into 'upper' and 'lower' parts.

Residents enjoy a mix of geographic terrain with a harbour that has been called one of the most beautiful naturally formed in the world. The Niagara Escarpment and converted rail trails offer opportunities for photography, hiking and cycling. Hamilton is one of 11 cities showcased in the new book, "Green City: People, Nature & Urban Places" by Quebec author Mary Soderstrom. Hamilton was selected as it offers a unique example of how an industrial powerhouse can nurture nature. She credits Thomas McQueston and family in the 1930s who "became champions of parks, greenspace and roads" in Hamilton.

Burlington Bay is a natural harbour with a large sandbar called the Beachstrip. This sandbar was deposited during a period of higher lake levels during the last ice age, and extends southeast through the central lower city to the escarpment. Hamilton's deep sea port is accessed by ship canal through the beach strip into the harbour and is traversed by two bridges, the QEW's Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway and the lower Canal Lift Bridge.

The most described religion in Hamilton is Christianity though other religions brought by immigrants are also growing. The 2001 census indicates that 77.56% of the population adheres to a Christian denomination, Protestants constituting 37.08% of the population, while Roman Catholics number 35.48% (significantly lower than the national average), while Christ the King Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Hamilton. The remaining 5.0% consists of Orthodox, and independent Christian churches. The largest non-Christian religion is Islam with 12,880 adherents or 1.96% of the total population. Other religions including Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other consistitute less than one percent each. Those with No religious affiliation account for 115,510 (17.63%) in 2001.

The most important economic activity in Ontario is manufacturing, and the Toronto-Hamilton region is the most highly industrialized section of the country. The area from Oshawa, Ontario around the west end of Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls is known as the Golden Horseshoe and the centre of it is Hamilton. Under the 2001 StatsCan definition, the population was 6,704,598 in the 2001 census. Major industrial products include motor vehicles and parts; iron, steel, and other metal products; foods and beverages; electrical goods; machinery; chemicals; petroleum and coal products; and paper products.

Citizens of Hamilton are represented by 3 tiers of Government. The federal representation consists of 5 members of parliament serving in the legislature of Canada. At the provincial tier there are 5 elected members of provincial parliament who serve in the Legislature of Ontario. The municipal tier is comprised of one mayor, elected city wide, and 15 city councillors, elected individually by each of the 15 ward divisions, to serve on the Hamilton City Council. Additionally, at the municipal tier, each ward elects a school board trustee for each of the school boards serving in their respective area.